The Christopher Killer

The Christopher Killer is a mystery novel written by Alane Ferguson. It was published in 2006 by the Penguin Group. This book has definitely made its way into my list of favorites. Never have I liked a mystery book until I read The Christopher Killer. It is about young Cameryn and how she sets out to discover the killer of her friend. I’m doing this book review over, and I’m going to be completely honest with my opinion. I think it was a good book. Not spectacular or amazing, just good. Cameryn Mahoney is your average girl from Silverton, Colorado, a small tourist town. She has always wanted to be a forensic scientist just like her father. When she gets the opportunity to be his assistant, she is more then thrilled! Her grandmother on the other hand, is nothing close to happy. She doesn’t want Cameryn working near dead souls for fear of tainting her soul. Not giving a care, Cameryn jumps on to her first case with her father. The killing happened in the mountains near the city she lives in. It is said to be another work of the Christopher Killer. The Christopher Killer is a killer who leaves a Saint Christopher badge on each one of the bodies he kills. All have been girls from small towns just like hers. There have only been three victims--now four. Earlier the famous psychic, Jewel, has said to have seen a vision when he was in his meditating process. He had seen a girl by a river, dead. Cameryn doesn’t believe in all this nonsense. until she sees that the situation fits perfectly with this situation. Still not believing, she goes to the crime scene with her dad. She finds out that the girl who was killed happened to be her close friend. Angry she is determined to not give up on this case, no matter what! With the help of her father, the sheriff and the new deputy, Justin Crowley, who her father forbids her from seeing, she sets off to find the murderer. Using her previous knowledge and her newly learned knowledge she rules down the suspects to Adam, a mysterious kid at school and her best friends’ friend. Jewel the psychic who reported the case, and Justin Crowley, the new deputy, the last suspect. Read on to find out which one of these suspects it could be, maybe it isn’t even one of them!

I think that The Christopher Killer is a great mystery book. It’s not like your typical mystery, it’s a forensic mystery. That means it goes into everything even the autopsies and such. When Alane Ferguson writes, it makes you actually feel like your there; it helps you envision every detail. “In front of her an arm stretched out from the tub like a tree branch ending in gnarled fingers. The nails were dirty and thick, more like chips of wood than fingertips. A hundred flies or more walked delicately along the flesh of the exposed limp. The body looked bloated and grotesque, more surreal than human. Holding her breath, she moved until she could see his upper torso still propped in a seated position. His neck rested against the edge of the tub and his chin dropped open so that his bottom teeth showed. The eyes were open and sunken; more flies crawled over the vacant pupils that stared like bits of dusty glass.”(36) Yes it is disgusting, but you have to admit, that was some pretty descriptive writing there. Ferguson really knows how to write a great mystery book. Not only is it interesting to read, but it also teaches you what forensic science is and how they do certain procedures. For those who want to be in the forensic science career, I recommend this book as it will teach you and entertain you as you read. After all, this is the book that got me into reading mystery books. Basically, what I’m trying to tell you is: you really should read this book! If you don’t you’re probably not reading one of my favorite books. Sure, it’s not amazing or anything, but it is very entertaining. It is sure to keep you reading until you finish reading the very last word of the last page. Even after that, I’m positive you’ll want more.

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